Baghdad /Â AFP A suicide bomber attacked a Shiite-majority area of north Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least 32 people and wounding more than two dozen, security and medical officials said. The bomber struck in the Shaab area of the Iraqi capital, targeting either a funeral tent or one at which Shiite Muslims distribute food and drinks on the occasion ...
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Blow to Libya unity govt as rival seizes offices
Tripoli / AFP Libya’s UN-backed unity government suffered a blow in its Tripoli base when a rival seized key offices in the capital and proclaimed the reinstatement of the former administration. The Government of National Accord (GNA) is the centrepiece of Western hopes to stem an upsurge of extremism in the North African nation and halt people trafficking across ...
Read More »Turkey condemns cancellation of coup panel in Sweden
Istanbul / AFP Turkey has angrily reacted to the cancellation of a panel in Sweden about the failed July coup attempt seeking to oust the government from power, calling it a “blow” to the freedom of expression. The panel “July 15th—Behind the Scene of the Bloody Coup” had been planned to take place in Stockholm. The office of the ...
Read More »Modi, Putin sign defence deals ahead of BRICS summit
Benaulim /Â AFP Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed lucrative defence and energy pacts on Saturday following talks aimed at reinvigorating ties between the former Cold-War allies. Modi hailed Putin as an “old friend” after their meeting in the Indian state of Goa, where leaders of the other BRICS emerging nations were also gathering for ...
Read More »Thailand’s beloved king, unifying figure, dies at 88
Bangkok / AFP Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-serving monarch, has died at the age of 88, the palace announced on Thursday, leaving a divided nation bereft of a rare figure of unity. “Although the team of doctors treated him to the best of their ability, his condition deteriorated,” the Royal Household Bureau said in a statement. “At 15:52 ...
Read More »Washington Post backs Clinton for president
Washington / AFP The Washington Post on Thursday became the latest US newspaper to emphatically endorse Hillary Clinton for the White House, saying it was swayed as much by her competence as by the alarming specter of a Donald Trump presidency. “Hillary Clinton has the potential to be an excellent president of the United States, and we endorse her ...
Read More »Brexit battle reaches UK high court
London / AFP The battle over Brexit reached the High Court on Thursday in a legal challenge to Prime Minister Theresa May’s right to start negotiations for Britain to leave the EU without a vote in parliament. The move could delay Brexit if successful and set up an unprecedented constitutional face-off between the courts and the government. It was ...
Read More »Dutch mull assisted suicide for those who feel life is over
The Hague / AFP The Dutch government is mulling a new law to give elderly people who are not sick the legal right to assisted suicide if they feel their lives are “complete”. “People who believe after deep reflection that they have completed their lives, should be able under strict conditions to end their lives in the dignified manner ...
Read More »Scottish leader unveils new independence plan
Glasgow / AFP Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Thursday unveiled plans for a new independence referendum in case her demands for more autonomy and for Scotland to stay in Europe’s single market are not met. Sturgeon said she would publish a draft referendum bill next week, accusing the British government of pushing for a “hard Brexit” and stirring ...
Read More »US hits radar sites in first strikes on Yemen rebels
Dubai / AP The US military directly targeted Yemen’s Houthi rebels for the first time on Thursday, hitting radar sites controlled by the insurgents after US warships came under missile attacks twice in four days. The Iran-backed rebels have denied carrying out the attacks, which saw missiles fired at US warships in the Red Sea on Sunday and Wednesday ...
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